Despite the deluge, California still behind on rain, snowpack

Center, Sean de Guzman, Manager of the California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, insert the long aluminum pole into the deep snow, as left, Angelique Fabbiani-Leon California Department of Water Resources State Hydrometeorologist in Hydrology Section, writes down the data and right, Andrew Reising California Department of Water Resources Engineer in the Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, observes during the measurement phase of the third media snow survey of the 2023 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken March 3, 2023. Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources

by: Austin Turner

Posted: Feb 21, 2024 / 11:28 AM PST

Updated: Feb 21, 2024 / 01:20 PM PST

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

A wet and flooded past few weeks hasn’t been enough to bring California’s snowpack and some rain averages up to average, according to state officials.

State Climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson with the California Department of Water Resources said the “significant precipitation” from recent atmospheric river storms has brought the statewide precipitation to 102% of average to this date for the season.

The rainfall has brought a significant boost to California’s snowpack, Anderson said, but it still remained below average as of Tuesday.

“This series of storms over the past week have also been cold enough to provide a significant boost to the snowpack, which was just 50% of average on January 31^st and is now 75% of average to date,” Anderson told KTLA. “However, this means that despite this week’s snowfall, the snowpack is only 50% of its average end-of-season peak, so if we see a longer stretch of dry conditions it is still possible to end the season with a below average snowpack.”

California Snowpack — In this photo provided by the California Department of Water Resources, bare spots in the snow are seen in the meadow where the first snow survey of the year took place in Phillips Station, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. California is beginning 2024 with a below-normal mountain snowpack a year after it had one of its best starts in decades with storms that eventually pulled the state out of drought.(Fred Greaves/California Department of Water Resources via AP)

In essence, an onslaught of rain and snow in recent weeks wasn’t enough to make up for a dry start to the winter season. It did, however, prevent California from entering a more dangerous zone of reservoir and snowpack levels.

Anderson said more precipitation this season would be crucial to get levels back to average.

“Anytime the statewide snowpack is below average, there is a risk dry conditions could set in again,” Anderson said. “Currently, the statewide snowpack is only 67 percent of its typical April 1 peak, meaning if we see extended dry periods between now and the end of the season, the snowpack would end the year significantly below average.”